Mount Disappointment

At least two mountains have been named “Mount Disappointment.” One of these mountains is in California, the other is in Victoria, Australia.

The Australian Mount Disappointment was named in 1824 by explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell. Its name reflected “their disappointment that the dense tree growth prevented them from viewing Port Phillip Bay from the summit.”

The American Mount Disappointment was named in 1894 by USGS surveyors. The mountain “appeared to be the highest point in the immediate area…so they planned to use its peak at their next triangulation point. Upon reaching the summit, they were “disappointed” to find San Gabriel Peak, 1/2 mile further east, to be 167′ higher.”

When I searched for human beings with the name “Disappointment,” I was likewise disappointed to find only one: Charles Disappointment Croft, born in early 1871 in Norfolk, England.

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2 thoughts on “Mount Disappointment”

Do you know anything about why his parents chose such a negative word as his middle name? Seems to be a rather unkind thing to do to your child regardless, but I’m hoping there was some reason that wasn’t a reflection of how they felt about their son.